“So you’ve got to stay in a hotel by yourself.”
Dani shrugs. “I don’t mind. I’ve got plenty of work I can do.”
“Please,” Callie says, pointing to the empty chair. “Sit with me.”
Dani looks around a moment. “I don’t want to take someone’s seat.”
“It’s for you.”
“You knew I’d come?”
“I hoped you would. I moved the chairs so we could speak privately.”
Dani hesitates a moment, then sits.
“You and Donovan stared at us a lot today,” she says.
“That’s my fault. But to be honest, I was staring at you, not Sophie.”
“Why?” Dani says, showing a hint of embarrassment.
Callie pauses, then says, “I’m a woman of action. I’m better with weapons than words. I tend to be blunt in conversation.”
Dani nods slowly. “I get that.”
Callie says, “I’m happy to answer your question, but I don’t want to offend you.”
“You won’t offend me.”
“We’ll see.”
“Please,” Dani says. “Tell me. I need to get back soon.”
“I was staring because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’m incredibly attracted to you.”
Dani’s eyes grow larger than normal, if such could be possible. She starts to get to her feet.
“Please,” Callie says. “Let me finish.”
“I’m with Sophie,” Dani says.
“I know. I’m not trying to seduce you.”
“Forgive me, but it feels like you are. Big time.”
Callie smiles. “Okay, so I am. But still. Accept the compliment.”
She laughs, pats the chair.
Dani looks around again before reclaiming her seat.
“Your friend, Donovan,” Dani says, changing the subject.
“What about him?”
“I’m right about him? He’s gay?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
She’s not curious, Callie thinks, she’s interested.
Callie lowers her voice and says, “This has to stay between us.”
Dani nods.
“You can’t tell Sophie.”
“Sophie and I tell each other everything.”
“Except for this,’ Callie says.
Dani pauses, then says, “Okay.”
“I’m counting on you, Dani.”
Dani says nothing.
“Just to be clear,” Callie says. “I can trust you, can’t I?”
Dani nods several times. “Yes.”
Callie looks around to make sure they’re completely alone.
They are.
Callie forces herself to keep a straight face, while thinking, Sorry Donovan. All’s fair in love and war!
Then she says, “You were right. Donovan’s gay.”
“I knew it!” Dani says, proudly.
6.
“YOU’RE AMAZINGLY INTUITIVE,” Callie says.
“I don’t know about that,” Dani says.
“You might be the most intuitive person I’ve ever met.”
“You’re making fun of me.”
“Not at all. You’re the only one who’s ever picked up on Donovan being gay.”
“Seriously?”
“Except for me. I’m intuitive too.”
She notices the skeptical look on Dani’s face and says, “I can prove it if you like.”
Dani looks around again. Callie wonders how Sophie manages to keep this gorgeous woman on such a short leash.
Dani says, “Okay, prove it. Tell me something about me no one knows.”
“Can I be blunt?”
“Yes.”
“I think you and Sophie are best friends.”
Dani laughs. “Everyone knows that!”
“True. But they don’t know you’re not really into the sex.”
Dani’s smile suddenly turns upside down. “You’ve just crossed a line.”
“Like I said, I’m a blunt person. But intuitive. I look at you and Sophie as a couple, but you know what I see?”
Dani stands. “I don’t really give a shit!”
“You and Sophie aren’t lovers. You’ve had sex once or twice, at most. I dare you to tell me I’m wrong.”
Dani’s eyes become slits. “You’re not only blunt, you’re the rudest woman I’ve ever met.”
She stomps off, gets about twenty feet, stops. Takes a moment, then slowly walks back and sits down. Her eyes are blazing.
“What right do you have to talk to me like that?”
“I know your background,” Callie says. “Sophie’s taking advantage of you, and I don’t like it.”
“What are you talking about? Sofe and I love each other!”
“As friends.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
“You’re a giver. She’s a taker.”
“You honestly believe Sophie’s using me?”
“I’m certain she is.”
“You don’t even know her!”
“I know how many times you’ve looked around the past five minutes to make sure she’s not watching you from the stage.”
“I care about Sofe. I don’t want her to get the wrong impression.”
“You’re admitting she’s jealous.”
“No.”
Callie smiles. “No?”
Dani says, “Fine. She’s jealous. So what?”
“Do you know why people get jealous?”
She starts to speak, then stops and says, “No. I don’t understand jealousy. At all.”
“In every relationship there is unequal love. One partner always loves more than the other. Sophie loves you more than you love her. The less she’s loved, the more jealous she gets. It’s hard on her because she lives every moment knowing she could lose you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“You agreed she’s jealous. I’m telling you why. If Sophie believed you love her completely, how could she possibly get the wrong impression about us talking?”
“You’re trying to fuck with my mind.”
Callie fixes her with a steady stare. “I want you, Dani.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want you like I’ve never wanted a woman in my entire life.”
Dani shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been around anyone like you before. I can’t tell if you’re fucking with me or making fun of me, or if you’re just some trashy bitch who likes to stir the pot and cause trouble.”
“You and I are the same, Dani.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“We were both attacked by men at an early age. We both have trust issues. We’re not gay, but find ourselves extremely attracted to beautiful women. We seek their nurturing. We park ourselves with women who make us feel safe, whose company we enjoy, but secretly we’re looking for the right man.”
“I’m sorry to hear about what happened to you. But you’ve known me less than an hour. You can’t possibly make these types of judgments about me. Or Sophie. Nor should you say them to my face.”
Callie takes her cell phone out of her handbag and says, “Answer your phone.”
“It’s not ringing.”
Callie presses a button and says, “Yes it is.”
Dani hears her cell phone ring. She frowns, clicks the button, says, “Hello?”
“It’s me,” Callie says.
Dani clicks to end the call and says, “How did you get my private number?”
“Please. The point is, now you’ve got my private number.”
“Wow. Lucky me.”
Callie says, “Look at me, Dani.”
They lock eyes.
Callie says, “Tonight Sophie’s going to put a lot of sexual pressure on you.”
“You have no basis for saying that.”
“Trust me. She saw you with Creed. She saw you with me. She’ll require major reassurance.”
“And what will I do?” Dani says, in a mocking tone.
“You’ll try your best to prove that what you have with Sophie is the real deal. You’ll think about this conversation. You’ll try to prove me wrong.”
Dani laughs. “You’re pretty full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“No. But I’ve been there before.”
“Right. And of course, you couldn’t possibly be wrong. Because you’re so intuitive.”